Latest news with #swimmingLessons
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
‘It should have never happened': Family grieving following sibling drowning deaths in Dryden, Ont.
Soon after moving from Hamilton to the northwestern Ontario town of Dryden, 15-year-old Kayden Grant and his 12-year-old sister, Joyclyn, were out with their cousins exploring their new home. Heather Dodds, Kayden and Joyclyn's stepmother, says they were hanging around a park near the Wabigoon River. 'They had been told many times, 'You guys do not know how to swim yet. You are looking at swimming lessons this year. You're not to be near the water, unless an adult is with you,'' said Dodds. 'Unfortunately, kids are very curious and sometimes, they don't always listen.' Dodds says at some point, both kids went to the water, and Joyclyn slipped in. 'She had no swimming experience and could not stay afloat,' she said. When Joyclyn was submerged in the water, Dodds says, Kayden, who also didn't have a lot of swimming experience, jumped in to try and save her. Dodds says the two of them succumbed to the water and died of drowning. Stacey Grant was at home with her stepson when she got the call that Kayden and Joyclyn had drowned. She said it's a memory she will never forget. 'The phone call, I replay it in my head every day. I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense. It should never have happened,' she said. 'They were really close' The community in Dryden has rallied around the family. An online fundraiser has collected more than $5,000 to help with costs associated with the loss. Joyclyn is being described on the page as 'the type of girl that could walk into a room and light it up with her smile.' 'She was always silly, loved to joke and laugh, and was OBSESSED with stitch,' the page read. Kayden, who just turned 15 at the beginning of July, is described on the page as someone who loved learning about science, dinosaurs, sharks, fossils and video games. 'But most of all, he loved his little sister,' the page read. Dodds and Grant said both Kayden and Joyclyn really complemented each other. The family is now advocating for water safety and swimming lessons for all school-aged children. They are looking to launch a foundation called 'Water Wings,' in both Kayden and Joyclyn's memory. The goal is to help families pay for – and support them in getting – basic survival swimming for their children at a young age. 'We didn't have enough time to give them (Kayden and Joyclyn) the necessary skills. Had they had those skills, maybe we would be looking at a different situation,' Dobbs said. 'We want to provide awareness that kids really do need to learn how to swim. You never know what is going to happen, and water is everywhere.' Swimming should be taught in school: grandfather Michael Williams is Kayden and Joyclyn's grandfather. He is now working hard to bring swimming lessons back into the elementary school curriculum. 'The problem is, it's only being offered as an opt-in basis, whereas I think it should be the other way around, as an opt-out,' he said. 'So, it should be a negative option. Schools have to do it unless they have a valid reason why they can't do it.' According to the Lifesaving Society of Canada, approximately 460 people fatally drown in Canada each year, with over 50 of those being children under the age of 14. More people suffer from non-fatal drowning incidents and injuries, resulting in long-term consequences. According to data from the Drowning Prevention Research Centre, there have been 188 water-related fatalities in Canada between Jan. 1 and Aug. 12. There were 183 at this time in 2024. Ontario has seen one of the biggest spikes, with 68 reported drowning fatalities, compared to 55 last year. 'I didn't know my grandchildren didn't know how to swim. I found out the hard way. I don't want anyone else to find out the hard way,' said Williams. 'If you're a grandparent and you don't know if your grandchildren know how to swim or not, ask the question I didn't ask.' Now Williams is trying to lobby the provincial government in Ontario to make swimming and basic lifesaving skills part of the curriculum. He has been in contact with provincial and local representatives in Ontario about this matter. Williams is also calling on the Lifesaving Society of Canada to advertise the dangers of swimming, the same way Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) discusses the dangers of driving under the influence in schools. 'Working with the Lifesaving Society, I want to raise their profile and make it so that they are as well-known as MADD is. I think that would go a long way to helping to get to where we need to be,' he said. 'I have no doubt in my mind that we will be successful.' Dodds just hopes their story will prevent future tragedies, so others won't have to go through the same grief they are currently going through. 'If your kids are young and don't know how to swim, reach out. Reach out to Water Wings. Reach out to your local swimming clubs. Kids need to know how to swim,' she said. 'You don't want to be in our position. You don't want to ever feel what we feel.'
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Goldfish Swim School encourages early swim lessons to prevent drownings
AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) — Goldfish Swim School in Amherst is joining a global effort to raise awareness about swim safety as part of The World's Largest Swim Lesson, an annual drowning prevention event. The school offers free lessons to local families while sharing water safety tips. General Manager Nick Patterson said starting children in swimming lessons as early as four months old is critical. 'That's why we open our doors at four months old and continue up to 12 years,' Patterson said. 'Getting kids involved in the water early means that by age one to four, they're able to swim on their own, without floaties of course, with parent supervision.' According to Patterson, drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4. He said lessons can reduce the risk by 88 percent. Instructors teach practical life-saving skills, including the 'sea otter back float,' which helps children float and breathe if they find themselves struggling in the water. 'All they need to do is roll over to their back so they can get that rescue breath and continue swimming to safety,' Patterson said. Children are also taught how to safely exit the pool using a technique called the 'fin-fin belly flipper.' 'It's grabbing the wall with both arms, putting their belly against the wall, and guiding their leg out of the water to push them up to safety,' he said. Beyond physical safety, Patterson said early swimming education helps build confidence in the water, especially for families where parents never learned to swim themselves. 'A lot of parents bring their kids here because they grew up scared of the water and don't want that for their children,' Patterson said. The school also recommends parents dress their children in bright-colored swimsuits for visibility and ensure they wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket near open water. Whether heading to the pool, lake, or any body of water this summer, experts say ensuring your child can swim is one of the best ways to keep them safe. For more information on swim classes, click here. Gwyn Napier is a reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2025. See more of her work by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
26-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
With kids flocking to pools amid heat wave, this Pennsylvania swim club is offering free swim lessons
Kids are flocking to the pools as the Philadelphia area continues to experience a heat wave, making water safety even more important. At Nile Swim Club in Yeadon, a free swim program is underway to teach kids the skills to conquer their fears of water and stay safe in the pool. Haalah Cunningham, 11, was at the swim club, learning how to swim for the first time. "It's definitely important to me because most of my friends have pools and I love going over their houses like being in their pools and if I can't swim, I really can't do much," she said. Haalah joined several other kids taking lessons as part of the swim club's No Child Will Drown in Our Town swim program. It's a free 10-day class that teaches kids how to swim. Haalah's mom says making sure her daughter knew how to swim was a priority for her this summer. "Making sure [my kids] are safe and able to help themselves if they ever get in trouble in the water is very important to me," said Sanayy Miller, the mother of Haalah Cunningham. With more kids flocking to the pools during this heat wave, water safety is even more important. According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4. It's also an issue that disproportionately affects kids of color "Everyone is drawn to the pool, everyone wants to swim but when you don't know how to swim it can become a very dangerous place," said Lisa Marie Ivory, president of Nile Swim Club. Ivory is fighting to change those numbers, and it's been a part of the club's mission for decades. The club opened in 1959 after its founders were denied access to a local pool during segregation. Ivory and the club's work continues to be focused on making sure all kids know how to swim. "We want our kids to have all the same opportunities that all the other children have had. And it's really important to us that kids in Pennsylvania, not just here in the area of the swim club, learn how to swim," she said. Nile Swim Club's No Child Will Drown in Our Town swim program continues into July. If you're interested and want to sign up, you can find more information on the club's website.
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
RNLI holds young adult water safety course for Plymouth students
The University of Plymouth has collaborated with the RNLI, Swim England and Plymouth Active Leisure to teach students how to stay safe in the RNLI held a young adult water safety programme in May teaching students how to call for help correctly and how to use a was followed up by an open water swimming session at Tinside Cove which was run by Swim England and Plymouth Active Chhadva, a postgraduate student who cannot swim, said: "I loved it and definitely feel more confident and I would like to learn how to swim now." Digital and social media student Grace Uwe added: "I felt it was essential to have some experience and know the basics of saving myself in the water."I feel like I've learnt how to stay safe and I'm planning to do more swimming lessons now." Associate director of student support at the University of Plymouth Steve Gaskin said the sessions had been important to teach students "how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe" in the water."This event was an exciting opportunity for students of all swimming abilities to learn more about the open water and we are very grateful to the RNLI, Swim England and Plymouth Active Leisure for their support in delivering it," he single piece of advice which the RNLI has urged the students and the wider public to remember and share is: "If you find yourself struggling in water, float to live".
CNN
24-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Drowning is the leading cause of death in young kids. Here's how to prevent it
Warmer weather is finally here in the Northern Hemisphere, and with it, many pools and beaches are opening for the summer. That's great for families who want to spend time by the water, but it's also a good time to be reminded about the importance of water safety. An estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings happen every year in the United States — an average of 11 drowning deaths per day — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 4, and after motor vehicle accidents, it is the second leading cause of death attributed to unintentional injuries among kids ages 5 to 14. I wanted to speak more about water safety with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University who previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner. She is also the mother of two young children, and as someone who learned to swim as an adult, she is a passionate advocate for kids — and adults — learning to swim. CNN: Who is most at risk of drowning, and under what circumstances? Dr. Leana Wen: The CDC issued an important report in 2024 about unintentional drowning deaths in the United States. Death rates were significantly higher in 2020, 2021 and 2022 than in 2019, according to the agency. Moreover, the highest rates were seen in young children ages 1 to 4. Among children in this age group, 461 died by drowning in 2022, an increase of 28% from 2019. The report also highlighted racial disparities, with higher rates of drowning deaths among individuals identified as non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and as non-Hispanic Black or African American. Only 45% of all adults reported having had swim lessons, and those numbers were higher among White Americans (52%) than among Black (37%) and Hispanic (28%) Americans. Racial disparities were also reported in a 2023 analysis from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which found that African American children made up 21% of all drownings for kids younger than age 15 in which race and ethnicity are known. Among kids ages 5 to 14, 45% of drowning deaths occurred among African Americans. The CPSC analysis also contained another key data point: The vast majority (80%) of pediatric drownings in which the setting is known occurred at a residence. This means that 4 in 5 kids who drowned died in their own backyard pool or that of a friend, neighbor or family member. Of these residential drownings, 91% occurred among kids younger than 7 years old. CNN: Why do so many drownings happen in residential settings? Wen: One major reason is the difference in supervision. Many public beaches and community pools hire lifeguards whose job is to watch out for the safety of everyone in or near the water. Private pools in people's yards often don't have someone designated for this purpose. Sometimes older children are supervising younger children but aren't always watching. Or adults may be supervising, but they are also busy with other tasks. In addition, some of those watching others may not know how to swim themselves. There may also be a false sense of security in residential settings. People may think the pool is small or not that deep or there are a lot of people around, so what can happen? Keep in mind, though, that small kids can drown in just inches of water. Serious injury or death can happen within 30 seconds. Drownings are often silent because the victim is unable to call out for help. CNN: How can parents and guardians prevent drownings in residential settings? Wen: The single most important best practice is to never leave children unsupervised near a body of water. Even if they already know how to swim, even if they are wearing a flotation device, even if the pool is shallow or small, an accident could occur — and either you or another responsible adult should always be able to see your child. The supervising adult should be actively watching the child and not distracted by chores or their smartphone. That person also should not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The adult who's responsible must also know how to swim well enough so they are able to jump into the pool and save the child if necessary. An additional safety precaution is learning CPR and first aid for infants, children and adults, which you can do through the American Red Cross. If you have a pool, be very careful before allowing others to use it. If your neighbors' children want to swim in your pool, a responsible adult must accompany them. Private swimming pools should all have childproof fencing around them. The fencing should enclose the pool, have a self-close latch out of the reach of children and be at least 4 feet high. This is required by law in most states. CNN: What safety precautions should people take around natural bodies of water? Wen: Always wear a properly fitted, US Coast Guard–approved life jacket when boating. Of all the people who drowned while boating in 2022, 85% were not wearing a life jacket, according to the CDC. To be safe, swim in areas where a lifeguard is on duty. Always follow lifeguard guidance about safety conditions, and stay in the area designated for swimming. CNN: What about teaching children how to swim — can that help with water safety? Wen: Yes. Kids ages 1 to 4 who took part in formal swim lessons had an 88% lower risk of drowning, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics. The goal here isn't necessarily to teach kids all the different strokes and get them to join a swim team; it's to impart basic lifesaving skills, such as treading water and floating on their back. When you are in the water with your children, take every opportunity to remind them about water safety. Other tips include never swimming alone, always asking for permission before entering the water and never diving into unknown bodies of water headfirst. Young children should also be reminded not to reach for items in the pool, as they are at risk of falling in; they should always ask for help instead. CNN: What about parents or guardians who don't know how to swim? Do you recommend that they also take swim lessons? Wen: Yes. First, adults who don't know how to swim are more likely to have children who don't know how to swim. This was the case for me. My parents didn't swim, and I also never learned swimming growing up. Second, it's hard for adults to properly supervise children swimming if they can't swim themselves. It was actually a terrifying experience with my own children that prompted me to learn to swim. My children were just 1 year and 3 years old one summer when my older kid pushed the younger one into the pool. We were at our local community pool, and there was a lifeguard who immediately sprang into action. But I remember how terrified I felt — and how helpless. I enrolled my kids in swim lessons right away. I also found an instructor to teach me, too, because I realized I had to overcome my own fear of the water and learn basic water safety skills to protect my kids. Learning how to swim as an adult is a humbling experience, especially for people like me who had to first start with overcoming fear. I began literally from zero. For weeks, I worked on just getting comfortable submerging my head underwater. Eventually, I learned how to swim and now really enjoy being in the water. And I feel a lot more comfortable supervising my children when we are in private or community swimming spaces. I'm looking forward to our local pool opening for the summer and to spending time with my kids having a fun — and safe — time in the water. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
